Outspoken leftist Czech becomes first direct elected president

A TOUGH, outspoken chain smoker who loves a glass of wine, Europe-friendly leftist Milos Zeman, became the first elected president of the Czech Republic, replacing ardent Euro-sceptic Vaclav Klaus.

Beating the conservative Foreign Minister, Karel Schwarzenberg, former prime minister Mr Zeman won 54.8 per cent of the vote against Mr Schwarzenberg's 45.19 per cent in round two of the election that had a 60 per cent voter turnout.

''As a president elected in a direct vote by citizens, I will do my best to be the voice of all citizens,'' the burly, silver-haired Mr Zeman said in his victory speech, as overjoyed supporters chanted ''Long live Zeman'' at a Prague hotel.

Mr Zeman, 68, is an economist who won fame in the former Czechoslovakia just before the fall of communism in 1989 for criticising the failure of the communist command economy.

His rise saw him sharing the political stage with the Velvet Revolution hero and first post communist Czechoslovakia president, the late Vaclav Havel, and his successor Mr Klaus.

During his term as prime minister in 1998-2002, Mr Zeman caused uproar on several occasions, once for likening Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to Adolf Hitler.

He is also known for a strong dislike of journalists, who he has frequently dubbed ''manure'' and ''superficial''.

His campaign strategy was to seek the middle ground to woo votes on both the left and right, particularly among those bitter about the recession and painful austerity cuts by the country's centre-right government.

''I'm a left-wing politician, but I'm seeking votes from left to right. A left-wing idiot is as dangerous as a right-wing idiot,'' he said.

Once seen with beer and the Czech herbal liqueur Becherovka, Mr Zeman recently said he had switched to wine and plum brandy, confessing to the Blesk tabloid that his daily diet included six glasses of the former and three shots of the latter. ''One must be consistent,'' he said.

Agence France-Presse

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